Infusion devices, such as catheters and on-catheter devices, are commonly used in providing modern medical care to patients. For example, catheters such as hemodialysis catheters, peritoneal dialysis catheters, peripherally inserted central catheters, midline catheters and drainage catheters are all commonly used in providing modern medical care to patients. Other infusion devices used in providing medical care include needleless connectors, intravenous (IV) administration sets, peritoneal dialysis lines, bloodlines, syringes, valves and filters.
These infusion devices are useful for treating various medical conditions. For example, peritoneal catheters allow patients with renal disease to have waste and fluid removed from their bodies. Thus, catheters and other infusion devices make critical medical care possible and are often essential to providing improved health care outcomes.
However, long-term use of catheters has a serious drawback in that a significant percentage of catheters fail due to infection, resulting in elevated mortality rates and significantly increased healthcare costs associated with treatment. Furthermore, infections are a leading cause of death in the United States, and many of those infections are attributable to infusion devices. The mortality rate associated with such infections is considerable. Therefore, a need exists for a manner to reduce infections relating from the use of infusion devices.